In the electronics industry, copper is often utilized for metallic interconnects, such as for integrated circuits to provide electrical interconnections (e.g., bonding wires, lead frames) between an IC die and external circuitry. However, copper tends to oxidize readily, which is not desirable during the manufacturing and assembly of electrical circuitry. Such oxide layers result in less effective electrical interconnections, such as between a lead frame and electrical connections, bonding wires, and between the bonding wires and contact pads on an IC die. Moreover, such oxide layers also result in assembly failures due to the effects of delamination, in which there is a separation between the lead frame, the bonding wire, and the electrical connection.
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements illustrated in the drawings have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements (e.g., layer thicknesses) are exaggerated relative to other elements tor clarity.